So Long, Goodbye
by ZashleySilver
Summary: Sam is leaving, and he says goodbye to the New Directions the only way he knows how. Song by Sum 41.


**So Long, Goodbye**

**_Time passes by, direction unknown.  
>You've left us now, but we're not alone.<em>**

_Hey everyone – come to the choir room today at 8. Mr. Schue will leave the doors unlocked. It's important._

Rachel reread the text Sam had sent her and the rest of the New Directions for the fifth time. She was sitting inside her car, listening to the sound of the August rain pound down on the earth, reading the text again and again. She couldn't understand why Sam was calling the glee club for a meeting over summer vacation. Usually if anyone had news about the upcoming rehearsal schedule and song ideas (which was usually only herself) they just posted it on Facebook or Myspace; never did they meet up at school to discuss it.

**_Before you know it, your cup's overflown.  
>You measure no one that I've ever known.<em>**

Rachel had been sitting in her car for almost ten minutes. The only reason she didn't immediately rush into school was because she didn't want to run into Finn. She had broken up with him only a couple of weeks ago, and didn't want to deal with the awkward tension. Sure, they had decided to be friends, but the fact that they had spit up again would just be on her mind the whole time.

The clock on her dashboard read 7:57. Sighing, she pulled the hood of her jacket over her head and got out of the car.

"Rachel! Wait up!"

Rachel hadn't even gotten to the back door of the school when she turned around to see Mike and Tina under an umbrella running towards her. Rachel waited until they reached her, and then the three walked to the school door together.

"Hey, guys. How have you been?" Rachel asked.

"Well Tina's been worrying nonstop about what Sam has to say." Mike said.

"You think it's bad news?" Rachel asked. It never crossed her mind that what Sam had to say was bad.

"No one knows, but I mean, why else would he ask us to meet in the choir room in the middle of summer?"

No one had time to answer Tina once they reached the door to the all-too familiar choir room. The trio walked in to see the rest of the glee club already seated, even Mr. Shue. Rachel took the empty seat next to Kurt in the front row and began to unbutton her jacket.

"Where's Sam?" Rachel asked the boy quietly.

"No one's seen him yet." Kurt responded.

At his words, Sam entered the room slowly, hands in his pockets.

"Hey, guys, thanks for coming. I wasn't sure if anyone really would." He smiled at his classmates.

**_And it's quite alright.  
>And goodbye for now.<em>**

"Of course we'd come, Sam," Quinn said.

"But dude, why'd you ask us to come?" Finn asked.

"Yeah, I had been planning on a huge game of Halo with Artie," Puck added.

"I asked you all to come here because I had some news."

"Well what is it?" Mercedes questioned.

"Well, you all know how my parents got laid off a while ago? And we were all living in that motel room?" the teenagers all nodded, remembering the incidents that led up to Sam's announcement back in May.

Sam smiled again, "Well my dad got a new job at this really prestigious college."

Everyone in the room began to smile and cheer.

"That's great, Sam!" Mr. Shue gushed.

"…In Nashville." The room went dead silent, aside from the pouring rain outside.

**_Just look up to the stars,  
>and believe who you are,<br>'cause it's quite alright.  
>And so long, goodbye.<em>**

"What?" Artie finally asked.

"The job's back home in Nashville. I wish I could say it was a really hard decision for my parents, but I mean, we're living in a motel. My dad wasn't exactly going to pass up this kind of an offer." Sam explained.

"So, what does this mean?" Brittany asked.

"It means that…I'm moving; tomorrow."

**_We always knew that it'd come to this.  
>It's times like these I forget what I miss.<em>**

No one spoke. No one knew what to say. No one even looked at each other – otherwise all they would have seen are shocked expressions and tears in the eyes of the girls. Instead they all looked at Sam, hoping he was joking or that this was some sort of dream.

"And I know that I could've just called you all, or posted it on Facebook, or even just left without telling you. But that's not what I wanted. I asked you guys to come here, so that we could do this the right way. You guys are really important to me. I wanted to say goodbye to you all, and to thank you…for being my friends." Sam said with a weak smile.

**_Matters of heart are hard to address.  
>Especially when yours is full of emptiness.<em>**

"And since this is glee club, I felt the only way to do this properly is to sing." Sam said, grabbing a guitar. Rachel couldn't help but crack a tiny smile at his comment.

Sam began to strum some chords, and began to sing. Rachel recognized the song immediately – she had heard Sam play it in his motel one day when she had come over to help out with Stevie and Stacey. The song was perfect for their current situation; so much so, that it brought more tears to her eyes.

As Sam sang, he put on a brave smile, despite the pain written all over his friends' faces. To cheer them up, he began to walk through the rows of seats, singing into their faces to get them to smile. This was hard for him to; just as hard as it was when he lost his home. But he wanted to leave his friends smiling, not crying. He managed to get everyone, even Quinn who was sobbing, to smile or giggle as he walked by them.

**_And it's quite alright.  
>And goodbye for now.<br>Just look up to the stars,  
>and believe who you are,<br>'cause it's quite alright.  
>And so long, goodbye.<em>**

His song began to end, and he walked back to the front of the room. As he held out his last note, he wished it wouldn't end; that he wouldn't have to leave the group of people who have been the best friends he had ever had. But every song has to end, and it did.

There was a moment of silence before Puck stood and began to clap. Within nanoseconds the rest of the group followed his lead, applauding Sam Evans' best and final performance.

After that everyone went over to him and began to hug him. Rachel had to wait until Sam came over to where she stood.

**_Time passes by, direction unknown.  
>You've left us now, but we're not alone.<em>**

"I wish you didn't have to go." Rachel whispered.

"I really wish I didn't either."

"Glee won't be the same without you."

"Thanks, that really means a lot." Sam smiled. Unable to think of anything else to say that wouldn't cause her to start crying, Rachel simply pulled Sam into the tightest hug she had ever given anyone. A small part of her actually believed that hugging him like this and never letting go would prevent him from leaving.

**_Before you know it, your cup's overflown.  
>You measure no one that I've ever known.<em>**

"Rachel, there's something I wanted you to know."

"What?"

"I know that sometimes these guys can give you a hard time and be pretty mean to you and try to put you down. But I don't want you to take any of it to heart, okay? You're a talented singer and beautiful and a good person. Don't forget that, okay?"

Sam's words were the kindest Rachel had ever heard. She pulled herself away from Sam's chest enough for him to see the tears begin to fall down her cheeks.

"I won't."

"Promise?"

A tiny hiccup of a sob escaped from Rachel's mouth. She couldn't believe how close she and Sam had gotten in the past year. His siblings had requested to see her once, and ever since she spent many days hanging out with the three Evans children. Sam had been there for her during her breakup with Finn, and she was there for him when the stress of his family's finances became too much for him. Sam had been one of the few people she knew who she considered to be a real friend. And now, he was leaving her.

"Promise." She agreed.

**_And it's quite alright.  
>And goodbye for now.<em>**

After several hugs, tears, and farewells, everyone had eventually left the choir room. Everyone, that is, except for Sam. Although it was nearly midnight, and his father said they were leaving early in the morning, Sam was still there.

He looked all over the room, from the band's instruments, to the plastic chairs, to the piano, and everything in between. It all began in this room. This is where he performed _Billionaire_ for his audition; where he and Quinn performed the song that won them the duets competition; where it was announced that he would perform at Sectionals; where he sang Baby as The Justin Bieber Experience; where he announced that he was homeless; where he had made friends that changed his life.

**_Just look up to the stars,  
>and believe who you are,<br>'cause it's quite alright._**

This choir room was him home away from home, and he knew he'd miss it a lot. But he'd come back. One day, he'd come back and visit. Maybe he could sing a duet with Rachel or one big number with the group like _Don't Stop_. But this wasn't really goodbye. This wasn't the end. Not for now, at least.

Sam began to walk out of the room, and smiled as one of his songs started to go through his head.

"Now I'm all gone, gone, gone; I'm gone."

**_And so long, goodbye._**


End file.
